West Virginia University Football's NFL Draft Legacy: Celebrating the Top 5 NFL Careers of Mountaineer Draft Picks

1. Joe Stydahar (1936 NFL Draft, Round 1, Pick 6)

 Few WVU players have made as much of an impact during their professional career as did Joe Stydahar, the program’s first-ever draft selection. Stydahar was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in The Mountain State, where he called Shinnston home. His time at his home state’s flagship university would build a foundation for a legendary professional career -- but it came after a rocky start to his collegiate career.

As a freshman, Stydahar spent a brief stint at rival school Pittsburgh in 1931 for the season’s preliminary practices. He returned from camp and reportedly then absconded to Morgantown via a sneaky car ride. There, he hid out in a fraternity house until the heat from Pittsburgh faded. 

From those humble beginnings, he became a dominant force at tackle on both sides of the ball. He earned All-American honors in 1935 and was touted by those who watched him play as one of the top tackles headed into the inaugural NFL draft.

Stydahar was the first-ever draft pick by the Chicago Bears franchise in that inaugural draft. In the big leagues, Stydahar helped lead the Bears win the NFL Championships (1940, 1941, 1946) and was a four-time NFL All-Star selection and a four-time first-team NFL All-Pro Selection. He has since been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1967) and College Football Hall of Fame (1972).